Golden State Warriors’ rookies can have an instant impact

The Golden State Warriors played it safe on NBA Draft night by not trading away their young core for a solidified star. Now, they’ll be hoping to see their incoming rookies make an impact as soon as realistically possible.

Traditionally, highly-coveted draft prospects don’t enter the league on teams with championship aspirations. Lottery picks are typically accustomed to playing the first few years of their career on bottom-feeder teams.

This won’t be the case for Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Starting their NBA journey with the Warriors means being thrown straight into the frying pan. There isn’t much time for learning curves and their flaws will be under a microscope from day one.

Playing for the Warriors isn’t all bad, however. Having four future Hall of Famers on the roster to mentor you certainly helps. And, being thrust directly into a winning culture will help more than spending the first few years of your career being surrounded by dysfunction like most lottery picks.

But, how exactly can Kuminga and Moody make an instant impact? What will they have to do to earn consistent minutes and reassure the front office that holding onto their draft picks was the right move?

The Golden State Warriors will be counting on Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody to be instant impact players. Here is how they can do this.

First things first, no one should be expecting Kuminga or Moody to compete for the Rookie of the Year Award. There is no doubt they are both going to struggle at various points of the season and they will be on a tight leash once the playoff hunt ramps up. Nevertheless, Kuminga and Moody both have specific skillsets that can make them useful.

For Kuminga, it is quite literally his strength. His massive frame and slick dribble have allowed him to play bully-ball in the Las Vegas Summer League. It won’t be as easy to Hulk his way through NBA-level competition but his skills will shine in transition and as an off-ball cutter.

On the defensive end, Kuminga will have to quickly overcome the usual limitations that come from being a rookie. He lacks experience and he’s only 18 years old. It is going to take some time for him to be a consistent defender but he has all of the tools needed to follow in Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala’s footsteps.

How about Moody? His polished offensive game and high IQ will allow him to play more minutes early on, we’d assume. Moody plays to his strengths and rarely looks out of place. This will help him play alongside the likes of Stephen Curry during the first months of the season while Klay Thompson eases his way back into the lineup.

Moody is a good 3-point shooter and a smart enough decision-maker to fit within Steve Kerr’s offensive system. He’ll have to face the same challenges on defense as Kuminga but his long wingspan and athleticism should make this easier for him.

All in all, the Warriors’ rookies have a tall task ahead of them. It is going to be a bumpy journey but the path to success has been clearly laid out for them. Their strong performances in the Summer League thus far have given us reasons for optimism.